Another Great Event with Amuse Consulting!

On Saturday, Marc from Amuse Consulting threw an awesome "South Beach" Garden Party for Sheleen and Randall and 65 vip guests at their home on the west side (why do I see Brian Jessel everywhere??). Liquid Bartending was there pouring drinks and mixing martinis for the guests as the lovely ladies from Tommy's Catering handed out some amazing hor d'oevres. If that wasn't enough, there was a dessert FEAST made by Estelle from Mozart Bakery. DELICIOUS! Sandy and I will probably be hiring Estelle to make our wedding cake.
I swear the garnishes were nicer. I just didn't think to take pictures of the drinks until I ran out of garnishes. Call me stupid. The true garnishes were candied lemon and lime wheels with candied lemon and lime zests sprinkled on top. The watermelon martini picture has the last of the zest on it. The hpnotiq south beach martini only has a sad lime wheel. Sorry everyone!

Burnaby Board of Trade Golf Tournament

This past Thursday, Liquid Bartending teamed up with Savoury Chef Catering to serve drinks and food at the Burnaby Board of Trade's 2009 Annual Golf Tournament at the Burnaby Mountain Golf Course. Proceeds from the event went to the Burnaby Empty Bowls Food Initiative. Golfers were treated to a delectable menu of Kusshi oysters with a raspberry mignonette, rare beef on brioche with micro greens and a garlic aioli, as well as a selection of fine cheeses, bread, crackers and grapes.


Liquid Bartending mixed four cocktails to beat the heat for the event including:

the "Tiger" Collins - Classic tom collins (tie -3rd favourite)
the "Fuzzy" Mint Julep - A peach puree mint julep served with lots of crushed ice (tie - 3rd favourite)
the "Lefty" Lemonade - Vanilla infused fresh squeezed lemonade with vodka (crowd favorite)
the "Golden Bear" Teas Off - Fresh watermelon puree with black and white ice tea, citrus and white rum (2nd favorite)


This event was a tremendous success. Special thanks to @jasonBBOT for organizing the tournament and hooking up Liquid Bartending. Booze, Food, Golf and Sun, all for a good cause. What more can you ask for?

2010 Project with Amuse Consulting

What's up everyone! I know it's been a while, but it's been a fun and really crazy summer. Sorry for not posting much. Right now I'm averaging 1 post a month which is really BAD! I haven't even been twittering much either, if you can believe it. But we're back and here to tell everyone about the new project we are working on with Amuse Consulting.

Liquid Bartending, along with HS Homestaging, Tommy's Catering, Hot Wax Mobile Music, Barbera Casey Photography, hoga Digital Photography, Greenscape Silk Design, Patterson Brands and Rewards, Lara Spence Web Design / Business Writing, and caDesign are teaming up with Marc Smith of Amuse Consulting to create an amazing hospitality suite for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Here's some more information:

Sure, you can organize a great event. You’ll find a venue, book the caterer, find bartenders, hire door staff. Are you exhausted yet? Leave the work to us. Take advantage of Amuse Consulting's hospitality suite, and you’ll have an Olympic party planned in under 8 hours. Just book our suite, pick your food & beverage, and invite your guests. Leave the rest of it to us. Use the suite to impress clients, stakeholders or sponsors. Host a great networking event, or a swanky fundraiser. When you book Amuse Consulting's hospitality suite, you get much more than a venue. You get: • Event planning services from Amuse Consulting • 4 Professional bar staff + bar runner • Two greeters at the door + two coat check people • Event photographer (all digital images on disc) • All audiovisual equipment, plus 8 hours of technician time • Custom DJ services, from background music to dance party. You choose • Six 45” LCD screens to promote your corporate brand and display images • Two custom logos projected onto the walls for instant branding • Custom dècor, to create the unique event that you’re hosting • The best value custom bar menu in town all arranged for you • Custom catered menu designed for your guests by an award winning caterer • Official Olympic licensed merchandise and non licensed gifts and products all arranged and delivered on site This unique space features: • A flexible layout that can easily accommodate 250 people, but can be cozy and intimate for smaller groups • A charming setting, in a heritage building with gorgeous hardwood floors and original brick walls • A central downtown location, close to Skytrain, bus lines and within walking distance of any hotel in the downtown core Add on the entertainment of your choice, sit back, and enjoy your party. Come see the space and experience how your Gold Medal Event could be! Join us at the Open House on Sept 24 noon-5pm & Sept 25 9-5pm. Register Here. Amuse Consulting is a full-service event planning company with more than a decade of experience. Our portfolio includes corporations, non-profit organizations, and individuals. We create event solutions so you can enjoy your party. To learn more, call us at 604-687-6335, or send us an email at marc@amuseconsulting.ca or visit www.amuseconsulting.ca.

Summer Wedding Madness!

Weddings, weddings and more weddings! We are midway through the summer and wedding season is in full swing! It seems like everywhere you look, couples are tying the knot. But instead of your typical traditional weddings, why not try something different?

Sheila and Daryl, whom we met at the wedding show, threw an awesome backyard reception in Langley complete with signature cocktails, a full bar, music, dancing, and all out fun! Congratulations to the both of you; Liquid Bartending wishes you all the best, and thank you for the gift of M.J.! (Inside joke)

Speaking of back yard receptions, the Cavanaugh Mansion in Richmond was amazing. Catered by Culinary Capers, this wedding spared no expense whatsoever. 220 guests arrived via buses from the ceremony and were escorted past a private stable complete with horses to the cocktail reception area. There, they enjoyed wine and beer, as well as martinis poured from the Ice Luge Sculpture.

There was a photobooth out front, a live band, amazing lighting and beautiful decor. Guests drank and danced their way well into the night. It was a fantastic celebration. Definitely one of the most memorable events of 2009.

If you want an outdoor reception to take advantage of the beautiful weather (but can't find a good venue), why not check out The Hart House Restaurant? Situated on Deer Lake, with amazing water views, The Hart House is the ideal venue for brides and grooms looking for that extra something special. Only a few dates left! Contact Sonja for more details.

Another great venue is the National Nikkei Museum and Heritage Center. It's an amazing space which can accommodate up to 400+ people. There's a Japanese garden out front, as well as a Tatami room upstairs. I will be having my wedding reception there next May. It's going to be awesome! Contact Harumi for more details.

Dante Di Pasquale's Italian Themed Party

What's up everyone! I'd just like to share with you a testimonial from Frances Wong. She, along with Kae Innes of Oce Display Graphics Systems threw an incredible party for Dante di Pasquale:


Testimonial for Liquid Bartending


“Our company Océ Display Graphics Systems held an important event for one of our senior managers. It was the 25th anniversary of years of service. The theme was’ all things Italian’. We hired Liquid Bartending and needless to say, we couldn’t have pulled it off without their help. Patrick and Sandy went above and beyond the call of duty. Not only did they look after our licensing (a huge task), but helped us with the purchasing and delivery of all of our drink items. That alone relieved hours of extra work that our own staff would have had to take on. Their innovative drink menu, interesting garnishes (edible flowers!) and professionalism made the event flawless and trouble-free. I would highly recommend Liquid Bartending for any corporate function that requires reliability and a different approach to bartending – excellent customer service and willingness to go the extra mile…I would not hesitate to work with them again.”

Frances Wong
Executive Assistant to the President & CEO
Océ Display Graphics Systems
Richmond, B.C.


So here are a few of the drinks that we served at the party. The cocktails are Italian and made with Italian wine, of course.

Sogni D'oro - Golden Dreams
A combination of orange juice, apple juice, ice tea, vanilla bean, and white wine shaken and strained over fresh rocks. Garnished with orange twists.

Verde, Bianco, e Rosso
The colours of the Italian flag. Lime twists with white and red organic edible flowers, shaken with cane sugar and Primo Amore Pinot Grigio. Served OTR.

Vino Rosato - Rose Wine
A gentle splash of Giffard strawberry syrup, stirred and blended with chilled Italian Pinot Grigio. Finished with edible rose petals.

Wine, Food, and Music Festival 2009

The Rotary Club of Burnaby - Metrotown, and Metropolis at Metrotown put on the Wine, Food, and Music Festival of 2009 on June, 13. Over 700 guests were treated to a night of wine (and cocktail) tastings from the likes of Pacific Breeze Winery, Liquid Bartending, Blossom Winery, Desert Hills Estates Winery, Domaine de Chaberton Estate Winery, E&J Gallo Winery, Forbidden Fruit Winery, and Westham Island Estate Winery to name a few. Amazing samplings of food were dished out by the Cactus Club Cafe, Firefighters' Club, Holiday Inn Express Metrotown, Station Square Pub, and Minoas Greek Taverna. All of this on a beautiful night outdoors with music from Caribbean band Phase III, and the Scott Cook Jazz Trio.
It was also an important charity night, with all the proceeds going to the South Burnaby Neighborhood Society, The Down Syndrome Research Foundation, and the Rotary Foundation Polio Plus Program. Special thanks to Bala Naidoo and Gloria Staudt for putting on an amazing event and being so accommodating!

In line with the theme of the event Liquid Bartending created wine cocktails to represent wine, food, and music, as well as a signature cocktail for the rotary club metrotown. Here are the drink recipes:


















Wine
The Oak and Chard
Ingredients: 2oz Chardonnay, Squeeze of lemon and lime, vanilla bean (substitute drop of vanilla extract), caramel syrup, 1 oz grape juice, 1oz apple juice, butter spray.
Method: In a cocktail shaker, combine all ingredients with ice, shake and strain into a wine glass. Garnish with lemon and lime twists.

Food
Savoury City
Ingredients: 3oz Okanagan Shiraz, 3oz tomato juice, 2oz starfruit juice, celery salt, lemon, lime, and balsamic reduction.
Method: In a cocktail shaker, combine all ingredients with ice, shake and empty into a tall collins glass. Garnish with a celery spear.

Music
High Note
Ingredients: 2 oz Chilled Pinot Grigio, 1 oz fresh watermelon puree, squeeze of lime, dash of melon syrup, 1 oz aloe vara juice, splash of ginger ale, and a squeeze of fresh grapefruit.
Method: In a cocktail shaker, combine all ingredients with ice, shake and strain into a wine glass. Flame with citrus oil and garnish with a grapefruit twist.

Rotary Club
Metro Rotary
Ingredients: 1 Muddled clove, dash of passionfruit syrup, 2 oz pinot grigio, 1/2 oz orange juice, 1/2 oz apple juice, 1/2 oz ice tea, dash of amaretto, and a drop of blue curacao.
Method: In a cocktail shaker, combine for 7 ingredients with ice, shake and strain into a martini glass. Slowly drip blue curacao into glass to create layer on bottom.

New Drinks!

Actually old drinks but with a twist. A guest asked for a mojito today, but with no mint on hand, I used basil instead. Delicious? Definitely.

Basil Mojito

Ingredients:
5 Basil leaves
Simple syrup
1 oz Dark Rum
1 oz White Rum
4 wedges of lime
soda

Method:
Muddle limes and basil in cocktail shaker. Add Dark Rum, White Rum, and simple syrup. Fill shaker with ice and shake. Pour into a tall collins glass and top with soda. Garnish with a basil sprig and lime wheel.

Another new concoction is actually a mocktail. I'm inspired by probably one of the best ice teas out there. If you get a chance, get the Citrus ice tea from Tim Horton's. It is awesome!

Citrus Ice Tea

Ingredients:
4 Chocolate Mint Leaves
Splash of Orange Juice
Squeeze of Lime
Chilled Orange Pekoe Tea
Simple Syrup

Method:
Muddle chocolate mint leaves in a shaker. Combine all remaining ingredients in the shaker and add ice. Cover and shake hard. Empty into a tall glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Congratulations to Tom and Tasoula!

It was definitely an engagment party to remember. Congratulations go out to Tom and Tasoula. Liquid Bartending wishes them all the best in their future together.


It was a beautiful day out on Deer Lake and a perfect setting for a wonderful gathering. Tom, Tasoula and their friends and family began with signature cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, before switching to a selection of Chilean wines (Chocolan's merlot and sauvignon blanc) which were paired with the delectable 3 course offering from the Hart House. After some after meal drinks, the party headed down to the lake to take photos and to take advantage of the gorgeous weather.

Here's their testimonial:

"From the initial consultation to the final cleanup, (Liquid Bartending) was very helpful in helping us plan and execute the perfect engagement party. We began with a private and intimate cocktail tasting which allowed us to decide on our personalized signature cocktail. We were also able to develop a custom drink list which featured drinks that we created together with Patrick. From the feedback of our guests and our satisfied parents, we can't imagine another (company) more skilled or knowledgeable than (Liquid Bartending). We'd like to thank Patrick for his wonderful service and for making our party memorable."

Your truly,

Tom Proden and Tasoula Adossidis

Without further ado, here is Tom and Tasoula's signature cocktail the Mediterranean Splash.
I have also included a cocktail from their cocktail list, the Passion Mint Tea.

Mediterranean Splash

1 1/2 oz Vodka
1/4 oz Cointreau
1/4 oz Ouzo (may substitute Lychee Liqueur)
Splash of lime juice
Splash of Orange Juice
Soda

Method:
In a cocktail shaker, combine Vodka, Cointreau, Ouzo or Lychee, Lime Juice, and Orange Juice. Fill with ice and shake 10 times. Empty into a tall stemmed glass and add organic edible flowers (Forget me nots, Ramps, and Dandelion petals to represent the colors of the Greek and Ukranian flags), top with soda and garnish with 2 orange zest slivers.

Passion Mint Tea

1 1/2 oz Vodka
Splash of melon syrup
Splash of passion fruit syrup
Chocolate mint, cut into ribbons
Squeeze of lemon
Ice tea

Method:
In a cocktail shaker, combine Vodka, melon syrup, passion fruit syrup, chocolate mint ribbons (an amazing product if you can find it), lemon juice, and ice tea. Add ice and shake well. Empty contents into a tall stemmed glass. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

The Vancouver Wedding & Honeymoon Show 2009!

Finally! My computer is back in business, and we got our pictures as well!
The Vancouver Wedding and Honeymoon Show 2009 was a complete success. Liquid Bartending served over 2000 guests and 500 brides with 4 different mocktails from our new summer menu. Talk about a great experience, I think we were one of the most popular booths there. People couldn't get enough of our drinks! (There were quite a few repeat and 3-peat customers... lol) Everything moved quickly, but if I had to rank the popularity of our drinks they'd probably go like this:

1. Summer Passion
- Passionfruit syrup, muddled cloves, lime juice, pineapple juice, ginger ale and orange blossom water.
2. Lady's Night
- Amaretto syrup, cranberry juice, lychee juice, grapefruit juice, squeeze of lime.
3. Mojito
- Squeeze of lime, mint chiffonade, cane syrup, soda.
4. Hypnotiq Oasis
- Muddled green grapes, blue curacao syrup, lime juice, white cranberry juice.

A huge thank you goes out to everyone that helped with the official launch! Special thanks to the liquid ladies Sandy and Kathleen, as well as Kevin for helping with the show. Other names include Colin, B-Up and Terry from ULounge, Edwyn and Carol from Hart House, Earl, David R., Chris B. from Beyond, Uncle Harry from Excel, Chef Ryan from Queen Charlotte Lodge, Jay from BBOT, Susan from Glorious Organics, and our suppliers. You have made everything possible. I'm probably forgetting some names, but you know who you are. Here are a few more pictures, enjoy!

What a party!

What's up everyone! A lot has happened since my last post but we're back and ready to go.

I've got to say that the event we worked last weekend was awesome! From the music, to the food, to the dancing, to the drinks (from yours truly), everything was an absolute blast. Special thanks goes out to Houtan and his family for throwing such a great party and inviting us to work in their beautiful home. I knew that the view was nice in West Vancouver, but the view from their house was just breathtaking! I'd like to share his testimonial with you guys:

"I would like to thank (Patrick and Sandy of) Liquid Bartending for doing such an excellent job. After scrambling to find a suitable replacement after our original bartender canceled, my family and I were floored with the level of service and professionalism that the team brought to our party. They made drinks that we'd never had before, and all of our guests agreed that the green apple mojitos were amazing. I will definitely hire them again for any occasion."

Houtan


So here's our recipe for the green apple mojito (the drink that people couldn't stop drinking). I will post a picture as soon as my laptop is out of the shop :(

Ingredients:
- 8 mint leaves cut into chiffonade
- 1/4 lime cut into small wedges
- splash of simple syrup
- splash of giffard green apple syrup
- 2 oz. Havana club rum 8 yr.
- Canada Dry club soda
- Garnish: mint sprig, granny smith apple slice

Method:
1. In a glass sleeve, muddle lime wedges and add rum, simple syrup, green apple syrup, and mint chiffonade.
2. Fill sleeve with ice, cover with shaker and shake 10 times.
3. Empty contents into a tall collins glass. Top with soda and garnish with mint sprig and apple slice.

Enjoy everyone!
Coming up next, The Vancouver Wedding & Honeymoon Show 2009!

Welcome!

What's up everybody! Welcome to the official launch of the Liquid Blog! This is the beginning of our rise to the top of the Vancouver cocktail scene. On here I'm gonna post cocktail recipes, ideas, showcase some of the events that we've worked, and mix and mingle with you! So kick back, relax, and enjoy. It's gonna be quite a show.

Official launch for Liquid Bartending is April 25 and 26th at the Vancouver Wedding & Honeymoon Show 2009! Come by our booth and say hi. Let the countdown begin...

First Post

This is a test. Meet Lexus!